Devil May Cry

'There was once a young man, a pathetic young man...' He started to write. A memory flashed in his mind.



"Kristoph, what are you doing?!?" Slender legs stood before his face blocking the sunlight from his face.

"Looking at the sky."

"Useless boy." The woman reached down and grabbed his hand. "Get up! You are supposed to be practicing the violin." She hissed walking along dragging him across the grass, staining his cream colored pants. "Now look what you've done! Your father will be livid when he sees what I've done!" Kristoph finally climbed to his feet to dust the dirt off his knees. She tried to wipe away the green splotches with her free hand, squeezing his wrist tighter.

"Miss Daae, please let go it hurts." He tried tugging his wrist back.

"Stop fussing. I'm in enough trouble because you were not found practicing!" She smacked him in the back of his head, further ruining the young man's hair. "Ugh, bugger... lets go!" She walked off; her apron tails billowed behind her with every furious step.

"Miss Daae." The door to the mansion opened up and there stood the cook, a robust woman not of German descent like Kristoph, not even of English descent like Miss Daae, stood there frowning. She was exotic; his father described her looking at the light mocha color of her flesh, the thick curliness of her dark hair.

She was from Puerto Rico, she divulged to Kristoph one day. Rather then head to America like her family insisted, she and her husband came to Germany, “wanting to be different” she said.

"Ella, what are you doing?" Miss Daae giggled nervously.

"I saw you dragging Kristoph." Ella put her hands on her hips. "You know he's weak bodied."

"We were playing.”

"Playing?" Ella rose an eyebrow at the woman

"I’m not weak!" Kristoph protested finally.

"Si, Si..." Ella nodded kindly at the blonde young man.

"We really were just playing." Miss Daae smiled at the woman

"Playing?" A much deeper voice asked from behind Klavier. "I remember distinctly telling you to find Kristoph for slacking in his studies and you were playing?"

"I'm sorry, Sir." Miss Daae lowered her head.

"Ach...look at you. Managed to ruin more clothes, I see."

"I'm sorry." Kristoph murmured quickly.

"Well?" His father kept looking on. Kristoph looked at the man and rushed off too his room. Once out of sight he proceeded to stick his tongue out at the group downstairs. Even from where he was he could hear Miss Daae, flirting her way out of trouble.

“Yeah, that’ll show him. Stick your tongue out AFTER you get in trouble.” Kristoph gasped and turned around meeting the gaze of a Hispanic young man.

“Christian.” Kristoph held his hand over his heart looking at the man.

“Don’t worry; I do it to Ella sometimes too.” Christian laughed. “When she’s not looking.”

“I’ll make sure I tell Ella that next time I see her.” Kristoph laughed at the face Miguel made and rubbed his head.

“Hey, man, did Lauren do this to you again?” Christian yanked the wrist that had been so roughly handled.

“…” Kristoph quieted and looked away. Christian sighed muttering something in his native tongue. “He wouldn’t believe it anyway. She‘s too delicate and gentle.”

“I know, I know. Your father is still a man and can smell that culo from miles away.” Christian sighed rubbing his head. “Go get changed. You can come with me to the market.”

“My violin practice-”

“Don’t worry about it. Your father won’t be worrying about it soon enough.

“Okay!” Kristoph grinned and ran off.

‘He always liked Christian best out of all the workers in his house. Miss Daae was his least favorite. Since she arrived his father believed in his son less and less each day, always taking Miss Daae‘s side.’ Kristoph pressed the pen thoughtfully to his lips. Perhaps thinking the best way to word the next part. “Christian always spoiled Kristoph when no one was looking, though. The man would berate him appropriately and did the things one would expect a father who had a bottomless wallet should be able to do… Be a true father. Maybe because his wife wasn’t able to have children he spoiled Kristoph so much, either way Christian was always good to the boy.’

That afternoon the two spent time at the market, buying things Christian’s wife, Ella would need, as she was the cook in the house and for their house. Any time away from Miss Daae was welcomed even if it was menial errands like this. And it was a set routine, the pharmacy for his father’s eye drops, the small market for proper vegetables, the bigger market for meat and bread, and as always the last stop, the liquor store Christian always took the longest here.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Christian patted Kristoph’s head and walked into the liquor store.

The owner wanted absolutely no minors in the store, even one with a well known name as Gavin; although Kristoph had a suspicion it was because the owner liked Miss Daae, who sometimes bought her favorite wine from there sometimes. It was a few moments later Kristoph realized Christian was taking longer than usual. He peeked through the glass and the man was looking mighty grim talking with the owner. Christian glanced at the door nodded to Kristoph and ended the conversation promptly.

“Come on.” Christian sighed. “I think we’ve been out long enough for the smoke to clear.”

“What smoke?” Kristoph skipped a little to keep with Christian’s longer strides.

“It’s not my place.” Christian smiled when they reached house. “But it will all be okay, alright little man?”

“THAT TRALLOP IS HAVING YOUR BABY AND YOU WANT ME TO BE OKAY WITH IT?!?” Christian groaned; he was sure this had passed already.

“Mama!” Kristoph rushed off before Christian could stop him, always happy to see his mother, like a true Mama’s boy.

“Yes, come on, keep yelling at me. Please.” Kristoph heard his father begging.

“DON‘T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!” Something smashed to the floor. “I’VE PUT UP WITH YOUR MAIDS ALL THIS TIME. FIVE MAIDS, FIVE AFFAIRS!” Suddenly it was quiet and Kristoph peered into the room. “Kristoph and I are going back to my parent’s.”

“No, Sonja, keep yelling at me.” The man grabbed her shoulders.

“I don’t want to.” She turned back to the bed throwing stuff into a bag.

“Sonja, once you get it out, you know everything will be okay.” He touched her dark hair and she jerked away

“It’s not okay, Kaspar.” She looked at him. “Five times is not okay. Some of it’s my fault. I let the other’s go but no more! This is it!”

“Yell at me Sonja. Yell at me! Get it out!” The woman turned to the doorway and smiled seeing her boy.

“Kristoph, baby. You’re back.” She smiled and hugged her son turning her back on her father altogether. “Go, go help Ella pack some things up, we‘re going to visit Oma and Opa.” She smoothed his blonde hair back and kissed his forehead

“Okay, Mama.”

“Sonja, please. Don‘t be rash. How are you going to get a flight to America at this time?” He heard his father begging down the hall. He turned the corner and spotted through the open bathroom door Ella dabbing at Miss Daae’s face muttering something in Spanish. Miss Daae just sat there in a daze, her eyes not seeing anything in particular.

“Oh, did you really believe he would be happy to hear such news? The man had no love for you; just the usual stupid attraction men have to women.” Ella sucked her teeth. “It would be a blessing if he didn’t kill that baby you’re going to have.”

“Hey there you are, Little Man.” Christian made everyone jump, all eyes on him now.

“I went to see Mama. We’re going on a trip to America.”

“To see your Abuelos?” Christian smiled and Kristoph nodded having grown accustomed to the word last time his Grandparents came to visit.

“Well, lets get you some nice things put away.” Christian opened the chest of clothing and started picking out stuff for the seven year old.

“Did something bad happen, Christian?” Kristoph watched the man fold up outfits already paired together.

“You’re going to have to be a strong man for your mother.” Christian smiled gently at the boy. “She’s going to be sad for a while, so it’s up to you to do anything to make her happy.”

“Sad?” The young man frowned rubbing his eyes, squinting at something on the other side of the room. “Did Papa make her sad?” Christian just rubbed his head.

“Be a good boy…”

*~*~

“Nearly a year later a letter arrived announcing to the world a baby brother had been born to Kristoph. Six months later his Papa died in a plane crash, on a trip to America intending to still work things out with the wife who wouldn‘t forgive him.” The ex-Prosecutor took a deep breath. “His estate divided up between the two mothers of his children. Soon after Sonja joined Kasper in the after life at the hands of an addiction to alcohol acquired after they settled in America. Kristoph remained with his Oma and Opa, orphaned before his ninth birthday. Something schoolmates cruelly taunted him for never realizing how deep such words cut into the psyche of an eight year old boy….”